Just How Good Are the 2013-14 Rangers?

[SnowblindNYR]

Also wasn't that amazing #1 center Toews pretty mediocre last year in the playoffs? They don't even have a #2 center. How did they win?

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Also wasn't that amazing #1 center Toews pretty mediocre last year in the playoffs? They don't even have a #2 center. How did they win?

I'd call 3 goals below mediocre.
Their scoring depth on the wings and playing solid defensively were definitely big factors in them winning

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I'd call 3 goals below mediocre.
Their scoring depth on the wings and playing solid defensively were definitely big factors in them winning

Well I've been told that this team can't even tie skates because the don't have a #1 center. Neither did the Hawks in the playoffs just last year. So what if a body with "Toews" on the back skated for them? He sure wasn't playing like a #1 center.

 

[TheDirtyH]

Well I've been told that this team can't even tie skates because the don't have a #1 center. Neither did the Hawks in the playoffs just last year. So what if a body with "Toews" on the back skated for them? He sure wasn't playing like a #1 center.

It's funny that I agree and disagree at the same time. The Hawks certainly has a 1C in the playoffs, and for the lack of offense he was still playing great defensively, and creating a lot for his line-mates. That said, I've always had an issue labeling guys 1Cs and 2Cs and true 1Cs and whatnot. It feels like those terms are thrown around a lot to talk up or criticize guys, but I've never seen a coherent definition of what these things are. I guess you could say it's a matter of where I guy would be slotted ideally, but we don't live in a world of ideals. If a guy can play with the best of your team against the best of the other team while contributing on both sides of the rink, making the players on the ice with him better, and playing in every situation, he's a number one center in my mind, but maybe I have it wrong. I'd really just like some clarity as to what people mean by it--maybe I'd have less of a problem with it then.

 

[Ola]

If this team would get the matchup of the 12' team, I am sure they would make it to the SCFs...

 

[bigbuffalo313]

If this team would get the matchup of the 12' team, I am sure they would make it to the SCFs...

Unfortunately we can't.

Mainly because they will all miss the playoffs

 

[Thirty One]

More literature on the topic:

http://rangersunlimited.com/2014/03/02/how-do-the-rangers-stack-up-against-the-nhls-elite/

Over at his own blog yesterday, Tyler Dellow did some work looking at the supposed elite teams in the NHL and how depth (or lack thereof) separates the true contenders from the pretenders. As a proxy for depth he made two tiers, one for a team’s first/second lines and another for its third/fourth lines. (I highly recommend reading his post before the jump.) Unsurprisingly, he didn’t include the Rangers in his analysis because no one considers them to be one of the handful of teams expected to be playing for the Stanley Cup. Still, I was interested to see how the Rangers stacked up against the league’s best, so I recreated his charts while tacking on the Rangers at the end.

 

[Crease]

I'd be disappointed if they lost a series to any East team not named the Penguins or Bruins.

They'd rightfully have trouble against the Pens, Bruins, and whoever comes out of the West

It's going to bother me if Lundqvist goes through his career without once being the best goalie in the playoffs.

 

[Synergy27]

More literature on the topic:

http://rangersunlimited.com/2014/03/02/how-do-the-rangers-stack-up-against-the-nhls-elite/

I'd like to see those charts for every team in the league and then I'd like to see power rankings/standings based on the charts. Then compare those standings to the actual standings.

 

[Thirty One]

I'd like to see those charts for every team in the league and then I'd like to see power rankings/standings based on the charts. Then compare those standings to the actual standings.

Better get started!

 

[Synergy27]

Better get started!

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

As a Pens fan, Rangers are the team that scare me most in the Metropolitan Division. Really balanced team under AV as compared to Torts. A lot more offensive, way better power play, and have stayed on par when it comes to defense and goaltending. Props to the Rangers, what looked like a rebuilding year has actually turned into a season Ranger fans can get excited about.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

As a Pens fan, Rangers are the team that scare me most in the Metropolitan Division. Really balanced team under AV as compared to Torts. A lot more offensive, way better power play, and have stayed on par when it comes to defense and goaltending. Props to the Rangers, what looked like a rebuilding year has actually turned into a season Ranger fans can get excited about.

This was supposed to be rebuilding year?

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

This was supposed to be rebuilding year?

Well, new coach, some new faces, slow start, not a rebuilding year like say the Flames, but a lot of changes this year from previous seasons.

 

[Thirty One]

Props to the Rangers, what looked like a rebuilding year has actually turned into a season Ranger fans can get excited about.

But choose not to.

 

[GregSirico]

As a Pens fan, Rangers are the team that scare me most in the Metropolitan Division. Really balanced team under AV as compared to Torts. A lot more offensive, way better power play, and have stayed on par when it comes to defense and goaltending. Props to the Rangers, what looked like a rebuilding year has actually turned into a season Ranger fans can get excited about.

And there are people here who think we should rebuild.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

But choose not to.

That's understandable, I think most hockey fans are always left doubting their own teams.

And there are people here who think we should rebuild.

Keep Zuccarello & Pouliot, those guys have been huge this year!

 

[GregSirico]

That's understandable, I think most hockey fans are always left doubting their own teams.



Keep Zuccarello & Pouliot, those guys have been huge this year!

Zuccarello is turning into a poor mans MSL.

 

[DoobeeDoobeeDoo]

Zuccarello is turning into a poor mans MSL.

Yeah he is, if the Rangers were to move Callahan (which I doubt they will), Zuccarello & McDonagh would be my top 2 picks for captain. Those guys have really put it all on the line for their team this season. Gotta love guys like Zuccarello who think they're bigger than they really are.

 

[Off Sides]

Not good enough to make short term moves.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Not good enough to make short term moves.

Agreed. Or long-term moves like tying up major dollars in "Intangibles" Callahan, for that matter.

BTW, "intangibles" is now officially a synonym for "stonehands."

 

[Off Sides]

Agreed. Or long-term moves like tying up major dollars in "Intangibles" Callahan, for that matter.

BTW, "intangibles" is now officially a synonym for "stonehands."

So not good enough to give out what could be poor contracts, I agree.

They are not a bad team, they have some blocks, time to keep building.

 

[Samuel Culper III]

Collectively less good than Ryan McDonagh.

 

[Fataldogg]

Still with the same opinion. Not as bi-polar on here as some.

Tonight was a bad game. Lundqvist was dreadful.

But we're still a 6th-8th place team. A "bubble" team, and I think we've been that all season.

My opinion on that has not changed.

 

[Samuel Culper III]

Still with the same opinion. Not as bi-polar on here as some.

Tonight was a bad game. Lundqvist was dreadful.

But we're still a 6th-8th place team. A "bubble" team, and I think we've been that all season.

My opinion on that has not changed.

Dead on. Which is why I don't want us doing anything dumb, drastic or desperate to try and "gear up for a run". That would just be fooling ourselves. Nothing else. We should be sellers, if anything. Take our 6-8 spot, get everyone some more playoff experience, maybe upset a team and give the fans some entertainment and mostly just keep trying to move forward next year.